Faults and Family
by MaidenMoonshine
Summary: Tim and Tony get into a fight. Who's fault is it? Based on a prompt from fiftyshadeswritergal.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi, everyone! Here's a one-shot to get you through to the next chapter of "Echoes" (maybe this can buy me some time, NCISJunkie79?). This is based on a prompt fromm fiftyshadeswritergal. **

**_PROMPT: Tony has been pulling pranks and teasing Tim relentlessly all week. Tim gets tired of it and strikes back. Gibbs walks in just as the two are brawling on the floor like a couple of high school kids. To make matters worse, Jen is with Gibbs and sees the whole thing. What happens next?_**

**I chose to write from McGee's POV.**

**Enjoy!**

...

It was Tony's fault.

Like normal.

Just this time I didn't let it stay his fault. And now we're both in trouble.

Tony has been picking on me all week.

Like normal.

Usually I can put up with the jokes and pranks because underneath it all, I really do like him. I know that he likes me too, which is why I put up with it. It's just how Tony works. Sometimes it's better, sometimes it's worse. This was a "worse" week. I don't know what happened to him that got him so on edge, but all week he's been a huge pain - launching office supplies at me, interrupting my focus every few minutes, generally being more annoying than a mosquito.

My patience finally snapped. When he started teasing me for the six hundredth time today, I pushed him. He was surprised and grabbed me, saying, "Hey! Calm down!" I wasn't going to calm down though. I pushed him again. From there it escalated.

It all became a haze until I heard Boss bellowing "WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?!"

Tony and I froze. There was Gibbs ... with the director.

"It was all my fault, Boss," Tony stumbled right off the bat. I was surprised. Gibbs just glared at us and told us to head down to meeting room number 5. We almost always end up there when he is going to chew us out - or discipline us. He said that he would be down in a minute.

It's be thirty-two minutes and thirteen seconds.

Slow torture.

But Tony hasn't said a word. He grabbed my shoulder before we entered, looked me in the eye, and said, "I apologize, Probie," before he opened the door, came in, and sat down in a chair. He just stared at the walls, his face a mask. He's been doing that for the last thirty minutes and ten seconds.

I tried to stay silently mad at Tony but it was hard work.

That's a lot of time to feel guilty.

Yes, he's been annoying this week, but he bought lunch for me Monday.

"I can handle it," he said, waving away my money as he arrived with the food for our stake out.

Did I thank him?

He's been teasing me but on Tuesday he overheard me mention that I was going to take a girl out for supper. He picked on me a little, sure, but in a friendly way. He said that he was happy that "McNerd" finally had a chance to play "McRomeo". He told me about his personal favourite florist. When I checked by that night, I was able to find just the right gift for Hannah. The owner even gave me a discount when I mentioned that Tony DiNozzo had referred me.

"Such a good customer!" they had chortled, then given me a 10% discount.

I never mentioned it to Tony the next morning.

He's called me a million embarrassing nicknames. But on Wednesday, I was the one making jokes about him, making jabs about rich families. They were disguised as jokes, but the look in his eye after one of them let me know that I had hit something sensitive. I did stop, but not after one or two more jibes. It felt kind of good to tease him when he does it to me all the time. But I could not forget that look. I have decided never to tease Tony like that again.

He left me alone all that day. But before we went home he slapped me on the back and told me to have a good evening.

He goofs off a lot and distracts me, but on Thursday he alerted me that the Boss was coming so that I could refocus on my paperwork instead of on a brain teaser game that Abby had given me.

Gibbs head slapped him for that, suspecting what he was up to. Meanwhile, I pretended that I had been working diligently the entire time.

And today, Friday, I light into him just because I couldn't hold me patience anymore?

And again, Tony took the blame.

"It was all my fault, Boss," he told Gibbs and the director.

I wish that I could stay mad at him for teasing me and ribbing me all the time. But I can't. Yes, he can be annoying but I'm no different. I haven't had a stellar week in my actions toward him. In fact, if anyone has reason to be annoyed this week, I'm pretty sure that it would be Tony.

"Tony," I say in a shaky voice - I hate how I kind of stutter when I'm nervous - "I ... apologize."

He doesn't demand what for or sneer at me about "McPerfect admitting he's in trouble". He just smiles at me with that typical DiNozzo grin and shrugs.

"Hey, what's a few words and shoves between friends?"

"Um ..." I stutter. "I'm not just sorry for ..."

But he cuts me off with a knowing look.

"And what's all that between family?"

"Really?" I blurt. As juvenile as it sounds, Tony is actually someone that I look up to, even if it is a little envious rather than admiring at times. He's an amazing agent, attracts all the women, and is so confident. Underneath all the jokes and occasionally crass humour, he is actually ... as hard as it is to admit ... one of my biggest role models. Could it actually be that he considers me ... family?

He grins. "You think I'd put up with you if you weren't? 'Dad' might not be too happy now, but trust me, I'll smooth things down. With all your games, don't you know how to press 'restart'?"

He holds out his hand and we shake.

"Truce?" he offers.

"Truce."

He laughs. "I had to settle on truce, because we'll never have peace, Probie!"

And this time I just roll my eyes.

Like normal.

...

**Please remember to review! **


	2. Chapter 2

**Due to the number of comments stating wishes that this story was a little longer, here is chapter two! Thanks to my proofreaders, fiftyshadeswritergal and KrisShannon. Thanks to all the reviewers who "made this chapter possible" - Troubled-Angel-26, Dalm, earthdragon, Mindless Creations, NCISJunkie79, DS2010, fiftyshadeswritergal, and Dawn248.**

**I hope that this chapter lives up to any expectations. Please enjoy and remember to review! **

**...**

"Feeling any better?" Tony asked.

It was three hours after our "meeting" with Gibbs. After he lit into us with a lecture, a couple of stinging head slaps, and a couple of even more stinging smacks with his "work" paddle, he finally let us go. Tony salvaged what was left of the day by dragging me to a quaint pizzeria, ordering enough food to keep us going for a week, then taking me to his house for supper and the big game on tv.

"Yeah," I replied, trying to keep a string of cheese from landing on my lap. I succeeded, but the sauce got all over my hand. Tony pushed the cheap, take-out napkins in my direction.

"Thanks." I wasn't just thankful for the napkins, or even the pizza that necessitated the napkins. I hoped that Tony could understand. I was too tired to try thinking of the corresponding words to express my gratitude.

"No problem." Tony got the message. He reached over and ruffled my hair - which I always find annoying. Tonight, after such a long day, I decided that being annoyed at Tony was probably a poor waste of energy. I had just paid a rather high price for being annoyed at him - it was time to look for the positives.

I found plenty.

Who else would risk their rear end for me?

Who else would take more than his share of the blame to protect me from taking the brunt?

Who else would then actually pay attention to me instead of ignoring me?

Who else would go out of their way to spend time with me?

Who else would actually take over that "oldest sibling" role for a bit so I could have a break?

Who else would let me crash on his couch for the night AND have the last slice of meat lover's pizza?

I can't think of anyone else besides Tony.

Trust me, if you ever get in trouble, go to Tony. Yeah, he might make fun and tease a little, but under it all, he really cares.

He teases me because he thinks that laughter makes things better.

He meddles because he truly does want to have my back.

He tags along, even when uninvited, because he wants to make sure that the people around me are friends and not foes.

He intrudes on personal time through phone calls and unexpected visits because he wants to make sure that a hard day isn't getting to me too badly.

And he treats me like a little brother because that's how he sees me - as family.

And I have no objections to that!

I just wish that everyone else I know had such a good friend.

Of course, this is not the last day where I will respond negatively to Tony's annoyances. I know that at some point I won't be able to resist and I'll jab back or get upset. But at least now I've had this time to see it from a different perspective and that will help.

Yes, we all have our faults.

But we are also all family.

**...**

**Thanks for reading! Don't forget to review!**


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